Never Mine
by Oneshot Shipper
Summary: He had a lot. He had the power he took from his brother, and two children of his own. But as much as he tried, Unalaq would never have the Avatar. A short look at his thoughts through certain events. Oneshot. Diverges from canon.


Hello, everyone! This is my first LOK fic and I hope you like it! The present events at the end take place right after the trial.

* * *

_"I bet it just killed you to learn he was the Avatar's father."_

When I first laid my eyes on the child, I knew she should have been mine. My brother, despite our mutual distaste for each other, allowed me to visit him and Senna just after Korra was born. I still remember it. The little baby, wailing louder than a wounded Platypus Bear. The couple had not had any luck within the first few days. Korra, I could already tell, was a rowdy one. She was impatient, loud, brash. And she was only a few days old. Senna did not say a word to me. I could understand that.

"Do you think she could be the one?" I finally asked, not tearingmy eyes off the screaming infant. Doubt ran through my mind, and I wished the spirits would tell me the truth.

"It's very unlikely," my brother replied gruffly. "There were two others born today in the village, and not to mention Republic City."

"Ah," I simply replied, still watching the baby. She started to quiet down a little, eyelids drooping. And every instinct in my body wanted me to believe what was running through my soul. But my mind did not wish to comply. "Well. She certainly is a very beautiful baby." The best thing I have ever seen. It was at that moment, the first time I had a strong desire to have a child.

"Thank you," Senna said quietly, not looking at me, slight unease in her eyes. Her eyes were focused on her sleeping daughter.

"Come," Tonraq said, guiding me away from his... wife's resting place. "Let us have dinner." I stayed the remainder of the night, and Senna did not say a word to me at all. When I held the child in my arms, a protective feeling that I could not fathom overtook me, and I was hesitant to return Korra to her... father's arms. In the morning, I gathered my things, and bid farewell to the couple, and my new niece.

"Goodbye, Unalaq," my brother told me, watching my departure out of the South Pole.

* * *

Eska and Desna have turned three. Their mother is dead, and I am alone, and no woman will I ever love more than _her_. But I will never be allowed to be with her again. As the Chief of the North Pole, I have many duties to attend to. Which include finding the Avatar. I admit I was very disappointed when I discovered that neither of my children would be the Avatar. Because there could be only one. I remember the day I saw the photographs. And I was caught off guard, because the White Lotus had discovered the Avatar before me. And four year old Korra smiled widely, standing next to her... parents.

I made the trip quickly, excitement and anticipation running through my body. A member of my family was the Avatar. Resentment and jealousy also accompanied these feelings. Why was Tonraq's daughter the Avatar? I forgave myself for sounding like a child, but it was not fair.

I arrived, and prepared to announce my visit as I was walking up to my brother's home. The door flew open, and a tiny child sprinted out, nearly a blur, it would seem. She ran past me, not even acknowledging me.

"Korra!" A voice called, "You can't make your own stairs out of the ground!" Tonraq's booming voice yelled, as he stepped outside. At first I was confused. It was... highly unlikely that Korra could earthbend yet. Most children could barely Waterbend yet!

My brother noticed me, "Unalaq?" He sounded surprised. "What are you doing here?"

I was about to reply, when the child came running back. "But I gotta practice!" She declared, a pouting expression on her face. "I'm the Avatar!" I had a feeling that had been a very heavily used excuse, because Tonraq rolled his eyes and sighed. "Who you?" She suddenly asked, turning up to look at me. She had her mother's eyes and... no. I wouldn't allow myself to compare.

"It is, 'Who are you,' Korra," Senna corrected, walking outside to join her husband. As soon as she saw me, she seemed to freeze, and panic filled her lovely features. She abruptly turned back inside.

"Who are you?" Korra repeated, a little more urgently, tugging on my robe to try and get the attention back on her. "If you're a bad guy, you gonna lose!" She warned. I couldn't help but smile, bordering on laughing. It was the first time in a long while.

I was about to introduce myself, when my brother spoke for me. "This is Unalaq, Korra. He's your uncle." Why did that feel so wrong?

Korra smiled, "I have an uncle?!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Hey, Uncle Unalaq! Look what I can do!" Then to my amazement, the child leaped back, and fire appeared out of her tiny fists. She lifted up a chunk of ground, and a little wave of water was lifted up from melted snow.

I stood frozen. "That is very impressive, Korra." I complimented the girl. She cheered, then continued with what she was previously doing before. Which was some odd, nonsensical game. And of course, Tonraq could not turn me away now.

Much later, when both Senna and the girl were in bed, I sat in silent company with Tonraq. Korra was a marvel, an honor to the family. A prodigy. And at that moment, I realized I didn't want a child. I wanted this child. I could already imagine Korra living in the North Pole with Eska, Desna, and I. She could live like a princess. She should be. She should be with me, my inner voice told me.

"When will you start her spiritual training?" I inquired casually, taking a sip of tea.

"She is only four," my foolish brother replied. "Avatars don't usually know until they are sixteen. We have a while." Imbecile. The younger one starts something, is the more they will master it.

"It is never too early," I suggested subtly. There was silence again. "I could take her. I could train her in the art of spirituality." I could tell at once that Korra would be fine in the martial side of bending. "I could be her mentor."

"That's not necessary," my idiot brother replied. "Tenzin has already agreed to that. And that's years away." Ah yes. The previous Avatar's only airbending son.

"Yes." I said. "However, I could teach her so much more." I needed the Avatar, and I believed the Avatar needed me. I could make her interact with spirits, make her able to do anything. She could be so much better under my teaching, if she was with me. And maybe, she could be of assistance with the spirit problem when she was older.

"Korra shouldn't have to start the harsh spiritual part of being the Avatar." Eloquently put, I dryly thought. My brother knew nothing of spirituality. "She needs time to play, time to be a normal child."

"She's never going to be," I interjected, unable to help myself. "Tonraq. At this age, to realize that one is the Avatar... I admit, it is a great responsibility or even burden. However, it will be easier to start at a young age. And learn... discipline." As impressive as Korra was, she was terribly rambunctious. And this was only after a matter of hours with the girl.

"Unalaq," he replied, obviously becoming annoyed. "The White Lotus has already decided to keep Korra safe. She'll go through the process slowly, and master each element thoroughly. This is what they, and Senna and I have decided." He almost sounded confrontational. And I knew he was practically telling me that I had absolutely no say in Korra's training. Because I wasn't welcome, because I wasn't her father.

* * *

The next time I visited the South Pole, I brought Eska and Desna with me. This time, we were staying for a few weeks, probably to the dismay of my brother. I sighed as the three of us walked onto the shores of the Southern Water Tribe. They were such unenlightened people, and the spirits were out of balance. If only Korra was allowed to travel back with me.

"Eska, Desna," I began, turning to my children, who were both obedient and well-disciplined. They had turned twelve recently. "Be sure to be well behaved." It wasn't as if they needed it. "Korra is... very different from you." The cousins would meet today.

"Yes, Father," Eska began. "I will be sure to refrain from commenting inappropriately on the actions of the Avatar."

"And I will conceal any negative judgment on the Avatar I may perceive, and will treat her with both warmth and kindness," Desna answered.

I smiled fondly, "Good. Let us meet them."

By the time we arrived at Tonraq and Senna's home, I quickly realized that Korra was not there. The twins sat down, not uttering a word to their uncle and aunt. My brother decided to make small talk, and talk with his nephew and niece, considering he had never met them before.

"Where is Korra?" I asked after an acceptable amount of time.

"She'll be here soon. She was at earthbending training," Senna replied quietly. As always, she did not meet my eyes. As I glanced at the woman, those feelings were no longer there. It was quite an odd feeling, but anything I felt, anything I believed I felt was gone. Replaced by anger at her, pure anger. What was the truth? What was she doing? However, I never did ask.

True to Senna's word, about ten minutes later, the door swung open, banging loudly against the wall, as a girl walked in, demanding all attention.

"Mom, is dinner ready yet?! I'm starving!" She called, not looking inside, as she hung up a coat. She looked small for her age, but perhaps she had not grown as much as she should have yet. However, I noticed that she wore her hair in a warrior's ponytail. I frowned at this, traditional values clashing with the respect for the Avatar. Eska and Desna stared at their cousin, watching her intently. Korra turned around, and froze, glancing at the presumably strange people in her home.

"Oh, I forgot," she admitted sheepishly. She cleared her throat, "Hello, Uncle." I figured she did not remember my previous visit, and was addressing me as such because she was told of our arrival. She waved at my children. "Hey! Finally good to see each other, right? I'm Korra!"

Eska blinked, "Positive emotion has no basis, considering this meeting was arranged."

Korra paused. "Oh?"

"Quite."

There was silence, then. No one said a word, and the tension seemed to be tangible.

"How are you, Korra?" I asked, breaking the silence. "How is your training progressing?"

Grateful to have someone who actually responded to her, the girl turned towards me, "Oh, it's going great! I'm gonna be the best Avatar ever!" She boldly declared.

"Wonderful," I commented, a small grin appearing on my face for a moment. "Forgive me for asking, but would you care to show me what you can accomplish?"

"It's just before dinner," Senna suddenly interrupted, a forced politeness in her tone that the children probably wouldn't be able to detect.

"Mom," Korra argued. "It will only take a few minutes! I want to show them Naga! Please!" The young Avatar begged, looking innocently towards her mother.

"Go," Tonraq told her resignedly. Korra excitedly motioned for us to follow her, Eska and Desna trailing behind her, and I knew they were curious about the way Korra was. She was the exact opposite of them, and the Avatar. She led us out back to an enclosure, a light snow starting to fall. I predicted it would become a blizzard in a matter of hours.

"Eska, Densa, Uncle," she began. "Meet Naga!" She open the gate, and there stood a polar bear-dog cub. It lazily looked up at us, before bounding over to the girl, affectionately licking her face. "Down, girl!" She shrieked. The animal was still very large, even if it was still very young. Amazing.

"I found her out on an ice flow," she told us. "And got her to trust me." Then, boasting a little, she said, "Master Katara says that I'm the only one she knows that's ever tamed a polar bear dog."

And then, to my utter surprise, Eska said, "Most intriguing. Would you share your account on how you managed?" The two of them bonded over that topic, and I couldn't have felt more relieved.

The time came when it was almost time to return to dinner. Korra had put Naga back in her pen, after allowing the twins to interact with it. And the time had come. I had to know. I wanted to see.

"Might you show me your skills, Korra?" I asked. Later on, throughout my time there, I observed and even sparred with the girl. I was very, very impressed. And a feeling of pride and even vanity was evident within myself.

And I asked my brother to take Korra again. Her spirituality was dramatically weak compared to her physical abilities. There needed to be balance within the Avatar, if there was going to be balance in the world.

He denied my request, of course.

I asked many other times. They all ended the same way.

* * *

It was when I saw Korra trying out the maneuver I had carried out to calm the dark spirit, that everything seemed to fall into place. These feelings bombarded me rapidly, and there were barely any doubts left, and I was certain on my position.

"Why wasn't I convicted?" Senna asked, shortly after Tonraq was sent to prison. I turned towards her, and no longer did I see a beautiful, lovely, compassionate woman. I only felt hatred, regret, fury, sadness. I knew, I had really known since Korra was born. Since I first laid eyes on her.

"Why wasn't I told the truth?" I retorted, a rage slowly making its way across my body. Senna was deathly quiet, and didn't say anything, but I could tell she was already crying. "Save your tears!" I suddenly snapped at her, turning around to face her. I had never been this angry, not since she told me that she loved Tonraq. I realized I hated this woman. Not an ounce of love was left for her. "Tell me!" I shouted.

She merely shook her head, "There's nothing to t-tell." Her voice shook with tears.

"TELL ME!" I roared. "Is she mine?!" I finally snapped, breaching a line that was never supposed to be crossed.

"No!" She yelled, an absolutely broken expression showing on her face. "Even if she was, Tonraq will always be her father!" I saw red, I seethed with rage.

"I know you're lying." I spat, tone as sharp as ice. "Because that is what you're best at, yes?!" I couldn't stand it anymore. I stalked over to her, and she stumbled backwards, trying to get away from me. I grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook her. "TELL ME THE TRUTH!" I was out of control.

Senna was sobbing, and it took a moment for her to answer. "Yes!" She wailed. "Yes, yes, yes!" I could see the shame, guilt, and horror on her face. I was still, nearly frozen. I knew the truth beforehand, but hearing it actually said aloud... it was still shocking.

I was the father of the Avatar. Korra was my child.

She hissed vehemently, "But after what you have done!" She angrily pushed me back with all her strength, and stepped away. "She will never even call you 'Uncle.' " Senna was always a clever woman, and I believed that she suspected that I was behind Tonraq's imprisonment. And suddenly, the victory and triumph and happiness turned sour. Because what had to be done in the South, would ruin any possible chance.

Because Korra would never be mine.


End file.
